Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities sets administrative procedures for the amended multi-jurisdictional pension plan agreement effective January 1, 2026

The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) published administrative procedures to support implementation of the 2020 Agreement Respecting Multi-jurisdictional Pension Plans, as amended in 2023, which provides the supervisory framework for pension plans with members in more than one Canadian jurisdiction. The procedures describe how CAPSA members apply the agreement and coordinate with each other and with plan administrators across seven areas: decision-making and appeals, inter-authority disputes, cooperation and information sharing, language of communication, periodic reporting, communications to plan administrators when a minor authority exercises an agreed function or power, and treatment of pending matters when a plan’s major authority changes. Key operational points include distinct processes for Schedule B “plan matters” (major authority law and recourse apply) versus non-Schedule B matters (major authority makes the initial decision applying minor-jurisdiction substantive law, with statutory recourse under the minor jurisdiction), expected consultation with minor authorities on legal interpretation and available recourse, and potential procedural adjustments by the major authority to meet fairness and notice or representation requirements in affected jurisdictions. The package also establishes a dispute pathway via a joint submission to CAPSA’s Multilateral Agreement Standing Committee, sets expectations for confidentiality, formalises language support and translation arrangements between authorities, and specifies examples of reporting to minor authorities such as funding relief and insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The administrative procedures take effect January 1, 2026, and embed process timelines including a 30-day comment window for CAPSA members on a standing committee joint submission and a 60-day timeframe for the committee to provide its advice, alongside annual limits for certain ad hoc information requests by minor authorities.